For the snorer and their spouse, snoring can cause restless nights that disturb sleep. Still, snoring can point to serious medical issues outside of noise. Physicians want patients to know that snoring can compromise general health rather than only cause annoyance.
Understanding snoring better—including its origins, hazards, and possible treatments—will enable you to be proactive in addressing it and therefore increase your quality of life. Discover more below from the Silent Night Therapy sleep apnea treatment experts.
Why Does Someone Snore?
Snoring results from partial blockage of the air passage via your mouth and nose while you sleep. Many elements can lead to this obstruction. One typical reason is the muscles in your tongue and throat relaxing, therefore obstructing the airways.
Furthermore, aggravating snoring is weight since extra fat around the neck compresses the airway. Nasal congestion brought on by allergies or sinus conditions can make breathing difficult through your nose and raise your chance of snoring.
Moreover, alcohol and sedatives ease your throat muscles, which causes snoring. Snoring can be brought on by your mouth’s anatomy as well—low, thick, soft palate, or swollen tonsils. Knowing these factors will enable one to choose the optimal strategies for either avoiding or lessening snoring.
Risks to Health Related to Snoring
Not only is snoring a noisy annoyance, but it also seriously compromises health. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder whereby snoring is disrupted by pauses in breathing, is one of the main worries. Reduced oxygen levels in the blood and fractured sleep can follow from this.
OSA sufferers run more risk of having cardiovascular issues, including strokes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Often disturbing sleep quality, snoring can also create daytime tiredness, which can affect focus, irritability, and increase accident risk.
Furthermore, snoring can damage relationships since it frequently interrupts the sleep of partners and generates tension and irritation. Not only for improved sleep but also for general health and well-being, snoring is important.
Possible Snoring Treatments
Treatments abound to either eliminate or lessen snoring. Little adjustments in lifestyle can have a major impact; cutting weight, avoiding alcohol before bed, and sleeping on your side will all assist. Nasal airways can be opened and airflow improved with over-the-counter treatments such as nasal strips or external nasal dilators.
A doctor could advise a custom-fitted mouthpiece that brings your lower jaw forward to help keep your airway open and address more persistent snoring. Sometimes treating underlying disorders like sinus infections or allergies helps snoring go away.
To treat obstructive sleep apnea, many individuals resort to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines. To maintain open airways, CPAP machines supply a consistent stream of air. Another choice is surgery, albeit usually a last resort following failed alternative therapies. Seeing a medical practitioner will enable you to decide how best to control your snoring.
Battling sleep apnea or snoring? Therapy Based on Silent Night Might Help
Our specialty at Silent Night Therapy is custom-made oral appliance treatment of sleep apnea. These devices help you obtain the deep sleep you need and improve airflow as you sleep, therefore treating snoring.